Subject: Squirrel recipe request

From: Gretchen Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 1994 15:58:02 -0500

Does anyone now if there are any medieval/renaissance recipes for
squirrell?  A friend of mine has several dressed squirrels that she'd
like to cook for an A&S competition if she can find a recipe.

I know squirrel fur was used in period (that's vair, after all), but I
don't know if they were eaten.

Thanks much!

toodles, gretchen

----------------

---

From: [email-masked] (Nick Maclaren)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 10:26:49 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, Gretchen Miller <[email-masked]> writes:
|> 
|> Does anyone now if there are any medieval/renaissance recipes for
|> squirrell?  A friend of mine has several dressed squirrels that she'd
|> like to cook for an A&S competition if she can find a recipe.
|> 
|> I know squirrel fur was used in period (that's vair, after all), but I
|> don't know if they were eaten.

Yes, they were, but remember the species.  The original squirrel of northern
Europe is the red squirrel, which always was less common than the grey
squirrel is today (because it is less omnivorous).  Hence they would not
have been common food, except possibly in the pine forests of Scandinavia
and eastern Europe.  I can remember seeing an old reference to squirrels
as food in Europe, but cannot remember either the country or date!  I
certainly have not seen a recipe, but would recommend chasing up Russian,
Ukranian or Scandinavian sources.

As a practical point, they can be cooked exactly like rabbit, and taste
very similar.  I have made a mixed rabbit/squirrel casserole, and it was
tricky to tell which was which.

Nick Maclaren
University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street,
Cambridge CB2 3QG, England.
Email:  [email-masked]
Tel.:   +44 223 334761
Fax:    +44 223 334679

---

From: [email-masked] (Iain G Liddell)
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 1994 12:41:54 GMT

>don't know if they were eaten.

Frances Bissell, who is the (London) Times Cook, mentions that squirrel
is the original meat for Brunswick stew. She also gives this recipe from
West Sussex (currently the sub-aqua bit of S England, after recent rain).
The squirrels should only be taken in autumn, when they have been eating
well on a vegetarian diet, but they are said to freeze very well.

Her recipe follows:

Iain

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sussex Woodman's Pie

>From Frances Bissell "The Times Cookbook". London, 1993. ISBN 0701145439

    3       squirrel hindquarters
    8       pigeon breasts
    1 l     strong dry cider (not fizzy)
    2       bay leaves
    1 tsp   black peppercorns
    2       onions, peeled and sliced
   40 g     butter
    4 tsp   plain flour
  400 g     chopped tomatoes (canned)
  230 g     button mushrooms
	    salt
	    pepper

  230 g     puff pastry

      Marinate meat in cider with bay and peppercorns for 24 hours.
      Cook marinade in low oven (150C/300F/Gas 2) until meat is tender
	  and comes off the bone easily: cool in cooking juices.
      Strip meat carefully, taking care to remove all small bones and shot.
      Pull pigeon breasts to pieces.
      Strain and keep liquor.
      Gently fry onions in butter, sprinkle on flour and make into sauce
	  with liquor from cooking.
      Add tomatoes and mushrooms: simmer for 10 minutes.
      Add meat and transfer to pie dish.
      Cover with puff pastry lid (glazed and decorated to taste).
      Bake 20-25 mins at 190C / 375F / Gas 5

      If no squirrel, substitute rabbit.
      If no pigeon, substitute partridge.
      If no squirrel or partridge, go out for dinner instead :-)